Holding On
by Lady Jen 00
Summary: Hermione finds herself all alone, everyone she ever knew and loved has disappeared. While in being pursued, she has to find out if they are all alive. Even as the last of Hermione's hope fades, a friend helps her to hold onto what she has left.
1. Gone

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own these characters or anything related the Harry Potter... darn.  
  
Hermione Granger sat in misery in her bedroom. The rain pelted the ground and windows heavily, giving Hermione a sense of frustration. Her parents had been away all summer so far. They said they were attending a dentist convention, but Hermione hardly believed it. She wondered what they were up to. Hermione had not heard from Ron or Harry once. She wrote to them but had gotten no responses. If Hermione tried calling Harry's house, either his aunt or his uncle probably would scream at her, and that was the last thing Hermione needed. Ron probably had no knowledge whatsoever of a telephone, so why bother, Hermione thought.  
  
It was cold and rainy outside, as it had been for a couple days now. The wind splashed the rain onto the windows and the blades of grass were drowning in mud. It was very dull and boring both inside the house, and outside the house.  
  
So far, Hermione's summer had been terribly boring. She wanted to get out and do something, she was sick of being all alone in the big house. Why weren't her friends writing back to her? She so desperately wanted to hear from one of them. Maybe she would try writing to Ginny, she might have the decency to reply.  
  
Hermione shuffled across her room to the desk. Her writing supplies were neatly spread out across the surface of the desk, so Hermione began writing.  
  
Dear Ginny,  
  
It's been so long since I've talked to anyone. I really miss everyone. My parents have been gone all summer so far, and I'm not too sure what they're up to. I wish I had someone to talk to. Did Ron get my last letter? I've sent him about three and he hasn't replied to any! Same with Harry. Do you know what they've been doing? I'm starting to get worried. Well, I expect they're alright; if something was up, I would probably know by now. Please write back soon Ginny, you're my last hope. I'll be looking forward to your reply. Please make it a long one, Ginny!  
  
Your Friend,  
  
Hermione  
  
Hermione sealed up the envelope carefully and addressed it to Ginny. She called her owl, Bubu, whom her parents had let her get after the end of term last year. Bubu was a small tawny owl, who was very active. She bopped around the house and would turn up in unexpected places, such as kitchen drawers or the shower.  
  
At Hermione's call, Bubu flew softly into the room and landed on Hermione's shoulder. Bubu spotted the letter in Hermione's hand and got excited, but when she looked out the window, she screeched.  
  
"I'm sorry," Hermione said to Bubu. "Maybe I shouldn't make you go out until the rain settles down." Bubu hooted in agreement and hopped off Hermione's shoulder onto her bed. Hermione sighed. "You're all I have right now, Bubu." The owl cocked her head. Hermione stroked Bubu's neck and she hooted softly.  
  
Finding nothing else to do, Hermione took out a few of her books she had bought at Flourish and Botts recently to do some light reading. She started to become tired and she let herself fall asleep as the rain pounded on the roof.  
  
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Hermione woke slowly. Sunlight was streaming in through her window and the birds were chirping. There was a sharp pain in her left ear. Hermione snapped her eyes open and saw Bubu biting her ear.  
  
"Alright," Hermione said as she sat up. "You can go now!" She picked up the letter, which had fallen to the floor, and placed it in Bubu's beak. "Take it to Ginny," Hermione said as she opened the window, and Bubu took off.  
  
Hermione sighed and fell back on her bed. She was still tired and she had nothing else to do until Bubu came back, so she fell back asleep.  
  
Her sleeping moments didn't last longer than an hour or so. She awoke when she heard a soft thud come from somewhere. Had she knocked something over? She opened her eyes slowly and looked around. She couldn't see anything, but she heard ragged breaths coming from somewhere... Hermione looked down and saw Bubu lying on her back on the floor. Her feathers were ruffled badly and there was a rather large scratch on her chest.  
  
"Bubu!" Hermione cried. She kneeled on the floor and cradled the poor owl in her arms. "What happened?" Hermione noticed that Bubu's wing was hanging limply at her side. She fingered it gently and the owl winced in pain. "It's broken," Hermione said softly. She stood up and rushed down to the bathroom where the medical supplies were.  
  
Hermione thrust open the medicine cabinet and searched for something that could help her owl. She found what she was looking for and carefully mended the cuts and scratches on Bubu. She also wrapped up the broken wing in bandages. Bubu looked much better after Hermione fixed her up, but she couldn't fly, so she had to walk through the house. She also couldn't hide anymore with that broken wing.  
  
Bubu hopped off the kitchen sink and looked up at Hermione grudgingly because she couldn't fly. "Sorry," Hermione said as Bubu walked away.  
  
What had happened to Bubu? It looked like someone attacked her; as if they were trying to get the letter she was carrying. But why would someone want to read a letter to Ginny? It's not like it was anything important at all. Who would attack an owl to read a silly letter? Was it just random, or did the person intend to take Hermione's letter. Is this what had happened to all of her other letters? If it was, then wouldn't Harry or Ron get worried and try writing to her? Maybe someone was taking their letters too! There could be a culprit out there snatching everyone's letters so no one could communicate. Well, wizards still could communicate other ways...  
  
Hermione was really worried now. She would have to call Harry, she wouldn't care about getting yelled at. Hermione raced to the nearest phone and dialed the number for number four Privet Drive. The phone rang and rang, but no one picked up. Finally, Hermione reached the answering machine. In a very nervous and shaky voice, Hermione said,  
  
"Harry, it's Hermione. Call me if you can," and she left her number. Hermione slowly put the receiver down. Why wasn't anyone home? Maybe they were out for the day... but they never took Harry anywhere. Maybe Mrs. Figg was watching him. Yes, that was it. The Dursleys had gone out and Harry was at Mrs. Figg's house being tortured with cat pictures. Relief spread through Hermione, although she could not be sure that her theory was correct.  
  
Hermione decided to use Floo powder to go visit Ron. Someone had to be home there. Hermione had used Floo powder many times, but she was quite afraid to use it this time since they were watching the Floo network. Nevertheless, Hermione stood in the fireplace and threw the Floo powder down, saying "The Burrow!" as she did.  
  
Hermione choked as she went down. She didn't like doing this, but it was easy to get around. She kept her eyes tightly shut so she wouldn't get dust in her eyes. Her hair was flying all over the place and her elbow banged painfully on the wall. Most painfully, Hermione shot out of the Weasley's fireplace. She gathered herself and stood up. It was quite dim in the room, and there were no sounds.  
  
"Hello?" Hermione called tentatively. There was no answer. She walked softly around the room, looking for signs that anyone had been there recently. There was nothing. All of the nick-knacks were placed where they should have been, the couch cushions were smooth and they looked like no one had sat there for days.  
  
"Hello?" she called again, only much louder this time. There was still no answer. Panic swept through Hermione. Where was everyone? Her heart thudded. Was this some kind of sick joke? No... they wouldn't worry her like this.  
  
She had not inspected the whole house, maybe they were somewhere she hadn't checked. Hermione did a thorough search of the house. No one was there, not even the owls. Every door was shut, but only one was locked, and that was Percy's room. Hermione knocked on the door, not expecting someone the open it, but it was worth a try. Of course, no one did. The whole house was empty. Everyone was gone.  
  
Panic rushing through her, Hermione ran back to the fireplace and brought herself home. She was pacing the living room, trying to make sense out of all of this, when she saw something by her window. She looked back, and to her horror, saw someone looking in at her. Before she could get a glimpse of who it was, they were gone. 


	2. Flying

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own anything... oh well.  
  
Hermione was scared out of her mind. Someone had been watching her. How long have they been watching her? She wanted to cry, she was so scared. Someone was out there, watching her, but she couldn't make out anything about the person, not even if it was a male or female. Shivers went up and down Hermione's spine.  
  
Interrupting Hermione's worries, a loud crash came from Hermione's room. She had left the window open... What if it was the person who had been outside her window? Suddenly, Hermione couldn't breathe. She felt as the walls were closing in on her, as if she had just taken her last breath. Choking and sputtering, she tried to breathe. Something told her to get out of the house, but she couldn't leave without finding out what the noise was. It could even have been Bubu.  
  
And indeed, when Hermione crept to her room, there was an owl sitting next to a broken picture frame, but it wasn't her owl. The unfamiliar owl jumped onto her shoulder and shoved a letter into her hand. The envelope was shaking violently because Hermione was so nervous. Who could it be from?  
  
Putting aside her fears, she opened the letter carefully. In loopy handwriting Hermione did not recognize, it said:  
  
Don't leave the house anymore, whatever you do. It's not safe.  
  
There was no signature. Who had warned her? But that small fact didn't worry her at all, she immediately grabbed Bubu, who was trying to fit in the space between the TV and the couch, and secluded herself in her room. She pulled down the shades and shut the light. The darkness made her feel depressed.  
  
Forgetting her 'depression', Hermione began to ponder. What had happened to all of her friends and their families? Her heart began to pound at the thought that they could be hurt or in danger. And had her pursuer told her parents there was a dentist convention when there really wasn't, so they could get them away from Hermione? Who would be so cold-hearted to separate Hermione and the only people that cared about her? Hermione wanted to scream, but she held back.  
  
So many questions swirled in Hermione's head, she felt faint. She was starting to feel very tired, maybe because the light was off. She got off her bed and made way to the light switch, but she began to feel dizzy. Holding a hand to her forehead, Hermione collapsed onto the floor, only to be found hours later by, who she thought, unwelcome company.  
  
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Hermione lifted her body uneasily from the floor and felt the back of her head. A pang of pain shot through her body. "Ouch!" she cried aloud. Had she fainted?  
  
Suddenly, the doorknob rattled. Someone was trying to get in! Ignoring the fact that Hermione could barely see, she stood up and looked for somewhere to hide. Before she could, the door opened and Hermione screamed in fear for her safety. Instinctively, Hermione held her hands over her head and closed her eyes tightly, trying to wish it all away and pretend it was a dream. But it wasn't a dream. It was all too real.  
  
Someone grabbed her body and turned her around to face the person. Whoever this mad person was, shook her to try to get her to look at his or hers face.  
  
"Hermione!" a very familiar voice shouted. "Hermione, it's okay!" Very reluctantly, Hermione opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred, but she could make out this 'strange mad-mad'. It was...  
  
"Professor Lupin?" Hermione felt so foolish for being so immature and scared for someone she had complete trust with.  
  
"I'm so sorry I scared you," Lupin said. "Are you alright?"  
  
How could Hermione answer that question? She had no idea what was going on. "I don't know..." she said stupidly.  
  
"Has anyone contacted you?" Lupin looked very stressed out and worried. He was very young, but he didn't look it right now. There were bags under his eyes and his hair was a mess.  
  
Fury rose in Hermione, but she tried to control herself. "Has anyone contacted me? No! They've all disappeared! And I want to know why. Where are they, Professor Lupin? I want to know."  
  
"First of all," Lupin said. "There is no need to call me 'Professor Lupin', as I am no longer your Professor. It's Remeus. And second of all, I can't explain anything here. The house is bugged."  
  
"Bugged?" Hermione gasped. "You mean someone has been watching AND listening to me?"  
  
"Shh!" Lupin said quietly. "Come on, we've got to get out of here."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"Headquarters."  
  
Hermione knew where that was. Number 12, Grimwauld place, Sirius's home. Or it was his home.  
  
"How are we getting there?" Hermione asked. When she had gone last time, she had simply woken up there.  
  
"We're flying," Lupin said barely above a whisper. There was a shocked look on Hermione's face. She couldn't fly... the only time she flew was in her first year and she wasn't even all that good! She was only chasing flying keys, and Harry was the one who caught the one they needed. Hermione would make a fool out of herself.  
  
Lupin started to walk out of the room, but Hermione tugged on his sleeve. "Profes- Remeus, there's something you should know," she said, feeling odd calling him by his first name. "I've only been on a broomstick once and I wasn't all that good..."  
  
"Not to worry, Hermione," Lupin reassured her. "I've bewitched your broom to make all of the exact moves that mine does. All you have to do is hold on tight and stay close behind me."  
  
"Won't people see us though?" Hermione whispered.  
  
Lupin shook his head. "No, there's a charm that makes you blend in with the background that we used on Harry last year when we took him to-" He paused. "You know where..."  
  
Hermione nodded. She had heard about the charm before, but it would be a while before she could master it herself.  
  
"Now come on," Lupin said hurriedly. "We've got to get moving. Where's your trunk?"  
  
Hermione ran over to her bed and pulled out her Hogwarts trunk. A thought occurred to her.  
  
"Pro- Remeus... I just got an owl this summer, but I had a cat before. Can I take both to Hogwarts?"  
  
Lupin shook his head. "Only one. But you can bring both to Headquarters and leave one there when you go off to school." Hermione's face fell. She didn't want to leave either one of them behind. Oh well, she would have to decide later. Lupin levitated her trunk as Hermione scooped up Crookshanks and put Bubu in her cage.  
  
Lupin was already walking down the stairs when Hermione caught up to him. The trunk was following him at his heels. Hermione noticed that there were two broomsticks leaning next to the front door. Lupin pulled out his wand and muttered something Hermione could not understand.  
  
Suddenly, Hermione felt a strange, icy, tickling sensation start at the top of her head and go slowly down to the end of her toes. She looked down at her feet. They matched the floor. "Weird," Hermione breathed. She had never been part of the house before.  
  
Lupin quickly did the same spell to himself. He too became the background of the house. "Come on now," Lupin said. He gingerly opened the front door a crack and peeked through. Hermione guessed he was making sure no one was there. He opened the door to its full extent and they crept outside. The sunlight was so bright that it nearly blinded Hermione. She tried to shield her eyes but it was impossible because she was clutching Crookshanks and Bubu.  
  
"Can you hold onto the cat while we fly?" Lupin asked. Hermione nodded. "The owl can fly behind...." He stopped once he saw the bandage on Bubu's wing. "Oh dear," he said. "I guess we can levitate the cage..." The cage rose slowly into the air to meet the level that the trunk was at.  
  
Before Lupin got on his broom, Hermione said quietly, "Everyone else is at Headquarters, aren't they?" Lupin didn't say anything, but the expression on his face gave Hermione the answer she hadn't hoped for. Lupin began to slowly rise off of the ground. Hermione, clutching both Crookshanks and the broomstick handle, rose as Lupin did.  
  
Hermione's stomach churned and heart fluttered. They were rising very high into the sky. Once they were about 300 or so feet above the ground, Lupin yelled above the wind, "Hold on!" Hermione grasped tightly to the broomstick as she gave one last glance at the place she called home.  
  
Lupin zoomed forward and Hermione screamed. They were bolting through the air at top speed. Hermione shut her eyes tightly and tried to push her fears aside. The point was, she was actually flying. Whenever she saw Harry flying around the Quidditch field, she couldn't help but feel jealous. And Ron was up there as well. As much as Hermione hated to admit it, Ron wasn't as good as she thought he would be, but she believed he could do so much better if he really tried. Hermione would always wonder what it felt like to be flying around freely. Now she knew, but it wasn't herself that was flying, it was mostly Lupin. Nevertheless, she enjoyed it very much.  
  
The wind pushed her hair back, giving Hermione a feeling of freedom. She opened her eyes and looked around her. The ground was so far away and the heavens so close. Hermione wanted to reach out and touch one of the clouds floating nearby, but she would fall off the broom. Hermione looked behind her and saw her trunk and Bubu. Bubu looked frightened, being able to fly while locked up in her cage with a broken wing was most unusual.  
  
The whole flight was very enjoyable. Hermione loved being up in the air, but when Lupin started to go lower, she pouted. She knew she would have to land on the ground eventually, but being up in the air like this made her forget her problem.  
  
If flying would make Hermione forget her troubles, then she wanted to fly forever...  
  
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Woo! Another chapter for you! Thanks for your er... REVIEW! C'mon people! Give me reviews! Give me HUNDRED of reviews! WOOOO! Lol. ^_^ Just puh-lees review! I would appreciate it! Thanks ;D I'll have another chapter soon, it depends on how much you love me lol.  
  
*Lady Jen* 


	3. Moonlight

Disclaimer: I don't own anything... NOOOO!!!  
  
WARNING! This Chapter has OotP SPOILERS!!! BEWARE!  
  
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Hermione and Remeus landed after hours of flying. Most reluctantly, Hermione entered number 12 Grimwauld place. The place looked not much better than the last time Hermione had been there. Furniture lay broken and forgotten on the floor and the wallpaper was peeling away. Behind an old, moth-eaten curtain came screams of, "SCUM! DIRT! FILFTH! GET OUT OF HERE!"  
  
Hermione ignored the threatening screams coming from Sirius Black's mother. She shook her head sadly at the thought of him. Lupin had a hard look on his face, as if he was trying to think about anything about his best friend who had died trying to save Harry's life. Hermione tried not to think about the pain and regret Harry was going through, but she just wished she knew where he was and if he was safe. She was almost to the point where she was down on her knees and praying.  
  
Hermione set her trunk down by the door and set down Crookshanks who sulked away. She carried Bubu to the kitchen table and opened the cage. Bubu hopped out and walked away, her feathers ruffling. Hermione sat down in an old chair nearby, and Lupin did so too. He ran his hand through his hair, looking stressful.  
  
"Er..." Hermione said. "Can you... uh... tell me what's going on?" Lupin looked up at Hermione. His eyes gleamed under the soft light. "Er--- right," he said. Hermione waited for him to say something. He finally took a deep breath and spoke.  
  
"No one knows where anyone is," he said slowly. Hermione's heart forgot to beat. Panic started to fill her mind and body again. Lupin continued. "Someone sent a letter to your parents about the 'dentist convention' to get them away from you. There is no convention."  
  
"I figured that out," Hermione mumbled. Lupin looked caught off guard, but he continued anyway. "We have no trace at all of the Weasleys, Harry or the Dursleys. They're all just... gone."  
  
"How long have you known about this? How long have you left me at my house with people watching me?" Fury burned under Hermione's skin and threatened to come out.  
  
"We knew they had been gone for a long while," Lupin answered. "But we didn't know about people watching you until we saw stacks of letters to you and from you."  
  
"W-where did you find them?"  
  
"They were under a shop in Diagon Alley."  
  
"Who's shop was it?"  
  
Lupin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again. "Madam Malkin's Robe Shop, but she claims she knows nothing about the letters, let alone you. We can't be sure she's telling the truth yet, but we're holding her for her word."  
  
"My letters?" Hermione said. "Where are they? Can I have them?"  
  
Lupin shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we have to hold onto them." Hermione pouted. She wanted more than anything to hear from her friends.  
  
Lupin cleared his throat. "Sorry Hermione," he said. "But I have to go see some.... people." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Lupin had already gotten up from his chair and left the room.  
  
Now what was she to do? Nothing could change the fact that her friends were gone, but for how long? There was a pain inside of her making her want to go and find them herself. Why should she have to wait around for other people to tell her where they are? She was capable of handling the world. She knew plenty of spells to defend her. But what if someone knew more than she did and would attack her with a spell Hermione did not know how to block? What would she do then? Maybe it was best to stay where she was. If she got hurt...  
  
Deciding to stay with Lupin and whoever else was staying in the Grimwauld Place, Hermione picked up her broomstick that she used to fly over to the hideout. It was beginning to get dark outside, but it wasn't fully night yet. She was sure Lupin wouldn't mind her going out to fly.  
  
The backyard of Grimwauld place was rather big. Rolling hills spread out across a large lawn, and many clusters of trees stood in the back, looking like a forest. The summer night was quite cool and windy. The wind blew Hermione's hair back softly and the cool air pierced her skin. Nevertheless, Hermione slowly rose up into the air, feeling ecstatic to be back in the air.  
  
Hermione carelessly flew around the yard until it got dark. When the sun was completely gone and the heavens could be seen, Hermione landed softly. The moonlight reflected on Hermione's skin, giving her an eerie glow around her body. The stars twinkled in the distance, giving Hermione a sense of security. The sky looked so relaxing and beautiful; she just stood on the ground and gazed for a long time. She sighed. She had better go inside now; Lupin didn't know...  
  
There was a noise coming from behind her. It sounded like someone rustling in bushes. Hermione whirled around and saw... A squirrel.  
  
Feeling free from anxiety, Hermione picked up her broomstick. The last thing she saw was the back door of Number 12 Grimwauld place flying open. After that, her vision obscured and she felt hands grasping her tightly. She tried to scream but her voice was lost inside her fear. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Hermione's arms flailing, Lupin and some unknown voice calling her name and yelling spells. The wind was whipping and the temperature seemed to have dropped ten degrees.  
  
"Don't struggle!" Hermione heard Lupin yell. And then everything went black.  
  
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MAUHAHA! How evil am I to leave it off there? ^_^ Very evil! Now I'll HAVE to update quickly for you people... Please review! I haven't gotten many reviews! =( Maybe I should write a better summary....  
  
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